


Summer Owlery Prompt 4 (Untitled)

by gameofdrarrymod



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Auror Harry Potter, Case Fic, Drunken Letter Writing, Epistolary, Healer Draco Malfoy, M/M, Offscreen Bloody Violence, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-04-07 14:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19086628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gameofdrarrymod/pseuds/gameofdrarrymod
Summary: Auror Harry Potter needs a healer's opinion for a case and it turns out that Healer Draco Malfoy is the most qualified person to assist him with the details of how the victims died, then later to stand as an expert witness before the Wizengamot. Harry is determined to see justice served, he just has to work through his feelings towards Malfoy and get over the awkwardness of the kiss they shared at a club a few months ago. Neither has brought it up, and they haven't spoken since. Harry hopes he can survive this.





	1. Letter 1 - Harry

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the 2019 Summer Owlery Exchange. This is a work in progress in which the authors have been matched and will correspond back and forth anonymously as Harry and Draco for the duration of the exchange until reveals. Tags will be updated as the work progresses. Authors will be revealed at the completion of the exchange.

**Official Owl Correspondence from the Office of Head Auror Gawain Robards.**

** **PLEASE BE ADVISED** : All communications to and from the Ministry of Magic Department of Magical Law Enforcement are monitored for both Tracking and Malicious Spellwork. This is a precautionary measure, for the protection of both Ministry staff, and members of the Wizarding and Witchcraft community **

 

 **TO:** Healer. Draco Lucius Malfoy,  
Department of Experimental and Exploratory Magical Research,  
St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries,  
London.

 **FROM** : The Secretary of Head Auror Gawain Robards.

Dear. Healer Malfoy,

The purpose of this Owl is to formally request your assistance in an ongoing investigation. On the 31st May 2019 two Department of Mysteries workers, Unspeakables Clarice Clareborne, and Jonathan Lysander were found dead at their home address, 37B Knockturn Alley.

Auror Ronald Weasley and Deputy Lead Auror Harry James Potter attended the address as part of the investigation, and confirmed that the pair had likely been dead since their initial absence from work, two days previously. Unfortunately, our resident Healer has not been able to make any progress with this case, and feels that you are best qualified to support the DME with this matter.

This case has been given **Top Priority** status within our department because of the sensitive work undertaken by Clareborne and Lysander. They were involved in the study of Magical Thought and Consciousness, and by all accounts were on the verge of of a critical breakthrough in their research. It is vital that their work does not fall into the hands of Dark Wizards who would seek to misuse it.

We at the DME are very concerned about the nature of Clareborne and Lysander’s fatal injuries. We have been able to ascertain that they were injured initially with a modified Diffindo. Whilst the cuts were both deep and severe they most likely would not have been fatal. Healer Ambrose has discovered deep lacerations to their internal organs, and a complete degradation of the Magical Cortex of their brains.

Many in the DME fear this is the first evidence of a new Unforgivable spell, and we respectfully ask for this information to remain completely confidential. Were this to become public knowledge it could cause huge anxiety amongst the wider population.

The DME have struggled so far to collect any further evidence. No magical trace was able to be taken from the bodies, and Clareborne and Lysander’s home had been spelled clean. We have taken the liberty of transferring the bodies of the couple over to St. Mungo’s. They have been placed under a stasis spell for your examination.

We thank you for your advice in this matter, and seek your instructions as soon as possible. It is difficult to express how absolutely critical your role in solving these heinous murders will be. We would, of course, need you to stand as an Expert Witness before the Wizengamot when we apprehend the guilty parties.

The DME have assigned Deputy Lead Auror Harry James Potter as your main contact. Please feel free to ask him for the official magical and autopsy reports, and any other information you might require.

We look forward to hearing from you at you earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,  
Gwain Robards

///////

(Scrap of parchment enclosed within the envelope. The text only comes into focus when Draco Malfoy reads it.)

_Bloody hell, Draco…_

_Sorry this is just a scribble, but I knew I had to contact you. This case is such a mess! Everybody here loved Clareborne and Lysander. The way they were killed. I’ve never seen anything like it… They were so young, newly engaged… Draco, listen. Everything that comes into the office via these Owls is tracked and monitored. I think it’d be better if you wrote to me at home, at Grimmauld? You’d could be more open and honest. Tell me what you truly think. I’m desperate to solve this. They really were good people, Malfoy._

_And I know I need to say sorry. Address the fucking Hippogriff in the room._

_I know I ran away after we kissed at that club a few months ago. Left you when you went to get your coat… It was a shitty, cowardly thing to do. I don’t blame you for sending my Owls back and refusing to see me. All I can say is that things between us suddenly felt too real. All those months of flirting and teasing. If I’d have gone home with you, I don’t think I would ever have left. The minute that I Flooed away I knew I’d made a mistake. I’m sorrier than you can know._

_Look, Robard’s secretary is walking over now… I’m going to offer to walk this letter up to the Owlery, and shove note this in the envelope before the Owl leaves. Write to me at home, Draco. Please. We can solve this. And maybe we could solve things between us too._

_Harry._


	2. Letter 2 -  Draco

\----------- Letter to the DMLE -----------

**St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries  
Department of Experimental and Exploratory Magical Research**

Head Auror Gawain Robards  
Ministry of Magic  
Department of Magical Law Enforcement  
Auror Headquarters  
Whitehall  
London

4 June 2019

Dear Head Auror Robards,

**Murder investigation ‘Clareborne/Lysander’**

Thank you for your letter of 3rd June and your request for assistance in the ongoing murder investigation ‘Clareborne/Lysander’. I am always willing and available to offer my expertise to assist the DMLE in any way I can, and I will, of course, act as an expert witness before the Wizengamot when this case goes to trial.

Please send my regards and thanks to colleague Patricia Ambrose for this referral. As advised, I will contact Deputy Lead Auror Harry Potter as soon as possible in order to request copies of all official reports (autopsy, medical, magical or otherwise).

If Healer Ambrose has any additional information for me - notes, ideas or even just “hunches” - which she didn’t include in the official reports, please let her know that she can always contact me, either by Floo call in my offices at St. Mungo’s and the Manor or by Owl. Any observations or ideas, no matter how far-fetched they might seem, could lead to a breakthrough.

Thank you again for entrusting me with this matter. I will do my utmost to help solve this case.

Yours sincerely,

D. L. Malfoy

\----------- Letter to HP -----------

**Malfoy Manor  
Wiltshire**

Harry Potter  
12 Grimmauld Place  
Islington  
London

4 June 2019

Potter,

With regard to Head Auror Robard’s letter referring to the ongoing investigation in the murder of Unspeakables Clareborne and Lysander, I request copies of the following documents:

\- all official and unofficial reports (autopsy, medical, magical or otherwise),  
\- any personal medical dossiers of both victims,  
\- any reports or observations related to the murder scene, written by you, Auror Weasley and/or anyone else at the crime scene or dealing with the bodies.

No detail in this case is unimportant, especially if it turns out that we are really dealing with a new Unforgivable Curse here.

As soon as I receive the aforementioned copies, I can begin the examination of the bodies.

I am, furthermore, of the opinion that our personal life should not interfere with our professional duti--

Ah, fuck this.

Firstly, I saw the bodies in the morgue, and no one deserves to die like this, much less well-respected Unspeakables who were about to get married and - as you said - practically just out of school. Whether this is a new Unforgivable Curse or not, I’ll get to the bottom of this and I’ll figure out _how_ they died; and then you can figure out _why_ they had to die.

Secondly, you have some nerve, _Harry_. Do you have any idea how you made me feel at the club? I left to get my coat, and you were gone. I was waiting where I last saw you. I checked the loo after ten minutes; stupid of me, really, to think that you might have had to step out and were coming back. I checked the rest of the club, the back rooms and the outside. Maybe we passed each other without me noticing and you were waiting for me to follow? Quite naive of me really. I asked the bartender, at last, and he said that he’d seen you leave by Floo.

“The minute that I Flooed away I knew I’d made a mistake.” What a load of bollocks! If you realized what you did was wrong, you could have come right back! I was waiting, you git! Is this your Muggle brain again? Did you forget that Floo travel is practically instantaneous? I’m also certain you’re quite familiar with the concept of Apparition.

Was it fun? It was probably all for a bet, wasn't it? Befriend the ex Death Eater, flirt with him for months till you can get a snog out of him, then leave him hanging. I bet you had a good laugh with your little Gryffindor friends at the next meetup at the Leaky.

Anyway, I think you’ve humiliated me enough for another decade or two. Kindly keep your meaningless excuses to yourself from now on. I will work with you to solve this case, but it will be on a strictly professional level.

DM


	3. Letter 3 - Harry

**\----- Official Owl Correspondence from the Desk of Advising Healer Patricia Ambrose, Department of Magical Law Enforcement -----**

 

 **To** : Healer Draco Malfoy,

Department of Experimental and Exploratory Magical Research,

St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries,

London.

 

6th June 2019

 

Dear Healer Malfoy,

 

**RE: Murder investigation ‘Clareborne/Lysander’**

Draco, I cannot express how relieved I was when Auror Potter told me you had agreed to support the DMLE in this investigation. You were always my most astute student at university, and I can only hope that your sharp mind will solve this current conundrum, for I must confess that I am perplexed. These deaths are quite unlike anything I've seen in forty years of Healing.

You will of course have read the official reports, and re-examined the bodies. The Draco that I remember will have scrutinised every fact, and I can categorically assure you that my initial evaluations were correct. Clareborne and Lysander were killed by the use of a spell which destroyed both the magical centre of their brain, and their internal organs. This was a villainous, wicked misuse of magic.

Draco, you asked in your letter if I had any ‘hunches’ that I hadn’t shared in the official documentation. Telling you this goes against _everything_ I ever taught you, for there is simply no medical evidence to back up my words, but then you have always strived to make your own conclusions. I’ve deliberated with myself, and I can only think that Clareborne and Lysander’s own magic was cursed to turn upon itself.

My gut feeling when I looked at the bodies was that of _obliteration_ : of both the Magical Cortex, and of the internal organs. Every part of my experience tells me that the _Diffindo_ was used only to subdue the victims. I’m no Auror, but my intuition has persuaded me their murders are linked to their study of Magical Consciousness. My opinion is that the pair discovered some rare magic in their research which I’m terrified has been weaponised into a curse.

I must confess that I’m frightened. I do believe Potter to be a good man, and I have also shared these observations with him. Draco, I _do_ hope that you will heed the advice of your Professor one final time, and work closely with him.

Potter is both impetuous and impulsive, and I do fear he will not analyse every ramification before taking direct action.

 

Patricia.

 

**\----- Letter from Harry Potter to Draco Malfoy -----**

 

7th June 2019

  
Malfoy.

I’m not sure now how many times I’ve started this letter.

You see, I keep changing my mind. I keep vanishing my words out of existence, because even trying to give you that distance that you so stringently demanded seems perfectly absurd. It seems I make one mistake, and I’ve been written out of your good graces forever. We spent months circling each other. We met for coffee. We lay on my settee, and listened to records. We had conversations about nothing that I know neither of us wanted to end.  

That night in the club? I Flooed away because I was shit bloody _scared_. I know you’re sitting there, scoffing, but it’s not a lie. That kiss felt more real than anything else I’ve ever experienced. Even as it was happening, I knew that it meant _everything_ afterwards was going to be different.

And I wanted that Draco, I truly did. I just didn’t have the courage to make that final leap. Didn’t have the courage to go home with you and claim the life that, in truth, I’ve wanted for a long time. I was weak and cowardly. Add those to my character assassination if you wish. I’ve no recourse now, have I? Just more meaningless excuses that you’ve decided not to listen to.

 

Harry.

 

**\----- Letter from Harry Potter to Draco Malfoy -----**

 

8th June 2019

Malfoy-

 _Please_ disregard my letter from last night.

It was entirely unprofessional and I can only apologise. I’d drank far more Ogden's than was good for me, and sent the blasted thing before I actually engaged my brain. No doubt you’ll agree that this is a poor habit which I seem to have fallen into in recent months. I promise you this will be my final excuse.

You stated that you’ll work with me to solve the Clareborne and Lysander case and I do appreciate that. Quite honestly, apart from Ron and Hermione there isn’t another soul here I trust. If their murders _were_ linked to their work in the Department of Mysteries, then I think it’s either a witch or wizard here at the Ministry who is implicated. It stands to reason, for there are very few individuals whom would have been privy to their work, except their colleagues.

So I've decided to do a little private investigating.

Tonight, I’m going to come back after hours and see if I can get a closer look at their laboratory, and their paperwork. See if I recognise any names. Healer Ambrose seemed sure their injuries were linked to their research, so it seems like the logical place to start. I’m sure you’ll understand that this isn’t _rigorously_ legal so I haven't involved Ron or Robards.

Hopefully I’ll come out unscathed but if anything _should_ happen Draco, at least one person knew why I was there.

 

Your strictly professional colleague,

HP.


	4. Chapter 4 - Draco

\------ Letter from DM to PA ------

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries**  
**Department of Experimental and Exploratory Magical Research**

Patricia Ambrose  
7 Mill Street  
Ashwell  
Baldock  
Hertfordshire

6 June 2019

Dear Patricia,

Thank you very much for the additional information in the Clareborne/Lysander case. I'm glad to know that you're as brilliant as ever. Something that can't be said about most of my colleagues here at St. Mungo's. How I miss working with you.

I've taken the liberty of writing to your private address because you might be in danger and it's my fault. According to Potter, there is at least one mole at the DMLE, and mentioning your (famous) hunches in my letter to Robards wasn't one of my smartest moves. Potter has no idea yet who might be involved in the murders, and I might have put you at risk.

I trust you, Patricia, that is why I need to warn you now. Please watch your back. Don't talk to anyone about the case, especially not about your hunches; and please hide or destroy any notes or test results that led to your hypotheses.

Should you need to contact me, it would be best if you avoided official channels altogether until this case is solved.

Stay safe!

DM

\------ Letter from DM to HP ------

**St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries  
Department of Experimental and Exploratory Magical Research**

Harry Potter  
12 Grimmauld Place  
Islington  
London

8 June 2019

Potter,

Please find attached my detailed autopsy reports in the Clareborne/Lysander case. My initial examination results confirm the findings of the DMLE's resident specialist, Healer Patricia Ambrose. The short version is as follows:

  * The victims were injured with a modified Diffindo charm which resulted in cuts on more than 31% of the body surface area for Lysander and more than 39% of the body surface area for Clareborne, predominantly in the area of the chest and upper arms. While those cuts range from 3 to 15 inches in length and are up to 1 inch deep, they did ultimately not lead to the victims' demise.
  * The victims' internal organs show severe cuts and tears the origin of which is still unknown, though the modified Diffindo charm can definitely be excluded. These cuts lead to fatal internal bleedings.
  * Additionally, the victims' Magical Cortices are completely degraded and practically non-existent; the reason for this is also still unknown.



The Magical Cortex is the part of a Wizard's brain, Potter, that receives and processes information related to magic; not to be confused with the Magical Core of each Wizard, which is the organic counterpart to the cortex if you will. Though "organ" might be a slightly misleading term for it since you can't observe and examine a Magical Core as easily as, let's say, a heart or a liver. It's a magical organ, so you normally use magic to look at it, but unfortunately, once a Wizard is dead, the usual diagnostic spells don't work anymore.

Bear with me for a minute longer, Potter, because I actually found a way of optimizing the examination of the Magical Core and magic itself by using both magical methods and Muggle science (shocking, I know!), borrowing from biochemistry and physics to be more exact.

Each Wizard, or even each magical being, has a distinct magical signature which – as you know – can be measured and recorded using magic. Whenever someone uses magic, a magical trace is left behind, similar to fingerprints whenever you touch something. Like fingerprints, this trace is a nearly foolproof way of identifying a magical being if you can match it against a recording of a magical signature already in your possession or obtained later on. And exactly in the same way as a criminal can just wipe away fingerprints at a crime scene or wear gloves, there are ways of altering, dissimulating or even erasing magical traces that were left behind after a crime had been committed – exactly what happened at our crime scene in the Clareborne/Lysander case. No magical signature could be recorded at the crime scene or on the bodies, not even the magical signatures of our victims.

I know you're probably rolling your eyes and asking what the point is of all this. You already know this. Always so impatient, Potter. Give me a few more seconds of your precious time.

For my PHD thesis with Healer Ambrose (yes, our Patricia Ambrose who was a professor at the Magical Medical Department at the Heidelberg University in Germany before joining the DMLE), I looked into alternative methods of measuring, analysing and recording magical signatures, and found out that each magical signature does also influence the electromagnetic field of its surroundings. Magic is not part of the electromagnetic spectrum itself – that would be too easy – but it does nevertheless alter the electromagnetic and biochemical signatures of its surroundings in almost (!) infinitesimal ways. "Almost", Potter, because I found a way of measuring those alterations consistently, even after the magical trace has been erased from a crime scene or a body.

Have you followed thus far, Potter, or are your eyes all glassy and you're thinking about last week's Quidditch results?

In short: I'll conduct additional tests in the following days, and if all goes well, I might be able to tell you more about our culprit(s) and/or the method they used to murder the victims.

Speaking of Healer Ambrose: As mentioned before, she was my PHD advisor at Heidelberg Uni and I trust her implicitly. That is why I asked her if there was anything unusual about the case which she did not put into the official reports. She wrote back that she had shared all her observations with you, even the ones she had left out of the reports (see attached copy of her letter to me, which does include some interesting observations about _you_ among other things. Why didn't you tell me about her suspicions?). Her theory regarding this case is that the victims' "magic was cursed to turn upon itself". Her suppositions are currently inconclusive and lack corroborating evidence, but I will keep this in mind during my further analysis. I trust her intuition just as much as her medical expertise, Potter, which is to say completely. If she writes, she's frightened, we should be too – or at least very careful.

So, please don't do anything impulsive, okay? Also: Have you been drinking? Ogden's always makes you so ... _emotional_. And that is all the ink I'm going to waste on last night's letter.

DM

\------ Letter from DM to HP ------ 

**Malfoy Manor  
Wiltshire**

**\--- confidential ---**  
Harry Potter  
~~12 Grimmauld Place~~  
~~Islington~~  
~~London~~  
**\--- hand delivery only ---**

8 June 2019

Potter,

Fuck! I just came home from St Mungo's and one of my house elves gave me the letter you sent to the Manor this morning. I tried to Floo call you at Grimmauld and at the Ministry, but to no avail. Where the fuck are you?

Didn't you get my letter? Merlin, you probably didn't if you were at the Ministry all day. I had sent it to the old Black house and your bloody house elf probably accepted it.

Are you out of your fucking mind? Don't go investigating the laboratory on your own. It's a LABORATORY, Potter!! What good can you possibly do in a LABORATORY???

Damn it! CONTACT ME, POTTER!

DM

\----- (same parchment, scribbled underneath and on the back) ----

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

It's close to midnight and my letter to you just came back! Where the fuck are you if my owl can't find you? I need to try again.

Why would you go alone, Potter? You could have left a note somewhere instead of writing to me. _WE_ could have left a note somewhere so people would know where we had gone in case something happened. WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU GO ALONE? Always rushing blindly into things. Fucking Gryffindor!

You have no idea what you're up against!

Today's test results are even more worrisome than what Patricia wrote in her letter. I don't think the victims' magic was actually turned against itself, I think the victims' magic was _harvested_. Their Magical Cores are completely drained. There is practically no magic left in their bodies.

You probably know that when a magical being dies, their magic is slowly released back to nature. This process takes several months, until all the magic is gone from the deceased magical being and has rejoined the naturally occurring magic in the body's surroundings. This process takes months, Potter, MONTHS!!

Clareborne and Lysander only died a week ago! Their Magical Cores, despite being difficult to analyse now that they're dead, should still be throbbing with magic. But it is all gone! _That_ is what caused their death! _That_ is what caused their internal injuries! Someone found a way to instantly rip our their magic from their Magical Cores and the backlash destroyed their internal organs.

We should consider the possibility of calling in a curse breaker to reverse engineer the curse and find a counterspell. If the curse _is_ a new Unforgivable, Potter, I sincerely hope there is a counterspell or a way to block it at least.

If I don't hear from you by tomorrow evening, I'll be forced to contact Weasley, because I frankly don't give a fuck about illegal activities and possible ramifications if your life is in danger.

DM


	5. Letter 5 -

\---Letter from Harry Potter to Draco Malfoy---

 

**12 Grimmauld Place**

**Islington**

**London**

 

(Hastily written on a piece of paper ripped from the back of a spell book. The handwriting is scribbled and messy)

 

9 th June 2019 – 2.07am

 

Draco- 

 

I’m safe. I’m relatively unscathed. 

 

Don’t contact Ron, don’t say a word to anyone ~~.~~ ~~ If we ever had a connection, if I  _ ever _ ~~ ~~meant anything to you,~~ then I’m begging you to give me just a little more time. Two, three hours. I’m holding your letters in my hands now, but I’m shaking, Draco. Struggling to think. I’ve been injured. Some sort of Burning Hex I think? And I’ve been cut. Another  _ Diffindo _ ? I’m  _ bleeding _ . 

 

Fucking hell, Malfoy. I was set upon. Ambushed. 

 

And don’t you  _ dare  _ floo over like some avenging-bloody-hero. I won’t be here. 

 

I’m leaving now for the DME.  I think I’m beginning to understand why Clareborne and Lysander were killed. If what I imagine is true, Ambrose was right to say we should be frightened. You were right, I should have told you her suspicions. It’s fucking terrifying. 

 

But I don’t regret going alone to the Laboratory tonight.  ~~ When that Hex hit, I was so fucking scared Draco. Sacred that I’d never see you again. But I’d always, always go in alone because I will not, can not risk the people I love… ~~ I’ve got to investigate my findings from the Lab further. 

 

I can feel the threads of the case unravelling, 

 

HP

  
  
  


\---Letter from Harry Potter to Draco Malfoy---

 

**Department of Magical Law Enforcement**

**Auror Headquarters**

**Whitehall**

**London**

 

(Written on parchment)

 

9 th June 2019 – 6.14am

 

Malfoy-

 

Quite honestly, Draco I’m starting to think that I’ll be apologising to you for the rest of time. 

 

How I conducted myself last night was rash, foolhardy and quite frankly, pretty idiotic. There seems to be some core part of me makes these heedless, stupid decisions and who simply doesn't think about the consequences. Doesn’t think about the people that I’m going to hurt. 

 

I frightened you and I shouldn’t have done. I can  _ feel _ you rolling your eyes at me, Draco. I know that I’ve let you down again.  ~~ When this case is concluded, we’re going to have a fresh beginning. I’m going to prove that I’m worth you time, your energies. I’m never, ever going to let you feel frightened again.   ~~

 

And  _ yes _ , before I get to my discoveries from the Laboratory, I’m going to deal with the inevitable telling-off that I envisage is probably my due. I know I should have let you come to my aid this morning. 

 

Firstly it was critical that I get to the DME office quickly, examine some records and start building our case. Secondly I’m actually a pretty dab hand with the Healing spells myself. I’m sure you’d mock but all Aurors need to have rudimentary Healing skills. That  _ Diffindo _ has left only the tiniest scar and the burn is  _ hardly _ tingling now.  ~~ Thirdly I couldn't have let you see me like that. Terrified. Crying. I couldn’t scare you even more, Draco.  ~~

 

I arrived at the Department of Mysteries at around eleven last night and I was able to enter the Magical Thought and Consciousness Laboratory with very little issue. To be honest I was initially pretty pessimistic that I was going to get anything useful out of the visit. I thought it just looked like every other Potions lab in the world; cauldrons, Bunsen-burners, etc. so I decided to examine their paperwork. 

 

Draco, there were notes that referred to ‘a dark or parasitic force’ and ‘energy that can manifest itself as a separate entity’. Mentions of a ‘black, fluid cloud’ and ‘a violent torrent of darkness’. There were references to  _ Hiba Abrar, Credence Barebone and Judith McNee: _ the ONLY three individuals known to have been affected by an  Obscurus in the last hundred years! 

 

And I think that was what Clareborne and Lysander were working on. 

 

An Obscurial is a constant bloody risk to the wizarding word. They are children like me, brought up in muggle families who victimise them, who hate and despise their magic. They repress their magical abilities, or are forced to do so by abuse. It’s surely only a matter of time before there’s another affected victim. The consequences could be absolutely cataclysmic. 

 

And when I look at what you found with the bodies, this hypothesis makes perfect sense. 

 

You said that Clareborne and Lysander’s magic had been  harvested . I’ve done some reading here at the Ministry this morning, and that is precisely what an Obscurus does but over the course of several years. This is more your department than mine, but  _ perhaps _ , in an effort to harness this force, the Unspeakable team inadvertently caused the parasitic magic to accelerate and intensity in its effect?

 

In the wrong hands, I think this could be an Unspeakable of the most vile degree. Were it to be cast on a susceptible victim, a full Obscurial could be raised and used as a weapon in a matter of moments. When I think back to the lonely anxious child I was at eleven, I can see how this dark magic would have engulfed me, enveloped me whole. Maybe Clareborne and Lysander- happy, in love, newly engaged- were unassailable and the curse simply killed them?

 

Draco, I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

I used a  _ Geminio _ to copy the notes I found and  _ Reducio’d _ them to take away. I was already on the way out of the Lab when the first Hex hit me. I think my attacker had been watching me and knew precisely what I’d discovered. It was all over in a matter of moments but the wizard caught me with a Leg-Locker Curse and they were able to apparate away. Thank Merlin you tried once more with your owl. I got home a few minutes after the ambush and that’s when I replied to you. 

 

I’m going to finish the letter now, and walk it to the owlery. 

 

I’m not letting this through the regular post because I’ve still no idea who my attacker was last night. All I know it that it was a fellow Ministry worker: they wouldn’t have been able to be in the Department of Mysteries with such ease otherwise. 

 

And I’ve taken your advice. I’ve asked Anthony Goldstein to contact you. He’s a good friend, but more importantly the finest Cursebreaker I know. Tony promised me he’d be with you at St. Mungos later this morning. I’ve already filled him in on my suspicions. 

 

Still your strictly professional colleague, 

 

HP.

 

~~ PS:  I promised you I wasn’t going to do this. Promised you I knew it was over. But last night, when that Hex first hit me, all I could think was how I’d lost you. All I could think was that I’d never hear you laugh again. See your smile. When this is over, Draco, meet me for a coffee. Ten minutes of your time. That’s all I ask.  ~~

 

PS: Hope this letter is still legible. In my hurry to get this out to you I had to  _ Evanesco _ a few sentences. Don’t worry, they weren't important.  

  
  



	6. Letter 6 - Draco

\------ Letter from DM to HP ------

**Malfoy Manor  
Wiltshire**

**\--- confidential ---**

Harry Potter

**\--- hand delivery only ---**

8 June 2019

Potter,

Your owl is a menace – especially at three in the morning! At least _I_ am sufficiently skilled in healing spells so that cuts and _bites_ don’t leave scars. I managed to retrieve your second letter without additional injuries by keeping enough distance between me and this grumpy beast of yours. It should come with a warning.

Honestly, Potter, I’ve read and re-read your letters from last night as well as the ones you've sent to me since we started working on this case and I’m at my wit’s end.

According to your latest letter, I’ll be spending _my Sunday_ at _St Mungo’s_ because _Anthony Goldstein_ will expect me to be there in a few hours. You _do_ realize that today is Sunday and I like my Sundays off? Do you ever rest? Sleep? Take time off when you are on a case?

Let me guess: “Crime doesn’t take a holiday, and neither do I.” Or maybe: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Surprised, Potter? Contrary to what you might think, I _did_ pay attention during the fortnightly film evenings last year. Even though I still maintain we watched too many films about superheroes in ridiculous costumes. (Who in their right mind thinks that undergarments and a cape are appropriate attire when making an appearance in public, much less when saving the world? It is not as if those "heroes" were surprised by a raging fire or attacked in their sleep and had to leave their home in their pyjamas; no, they dress like this voluntarily!)

I don’t know what to do with you, Potter. A few years ago, you explained to me what “films” are, how they are made, and that it’s all make-believe. But the more I think about your letters, the more I’m convinced that you think you're one of those idiotic superheros, even if they aren’t fucking real! (At least you aren't going as far as copying their outfits, though your fashion sense is still atrocious. Thank Merlin for small mercies.)

You forbid me to floo over “like some avenging-bloody-hero”, but you don’t seem to realize that this is what you’re doing, what you’ve been doing since forever.

You’re not a recluse. You spend time with your friends and your colleagues, you invite them over to your house, you visit them in your free time between cases (little free time there might be), and you laugh with them and enjoy spending time with them.

But you always, Potter, ALWAYS cut everybody off when the situation gets serious. You always exclude everybody when it really counts. You did it at the club where, when things “felt too real” and you were “shit bloody scared” (your words!), you just left. And you did it last night when, instead of asking for or accepting help and improving your chances of success (and survival!) in this mission significantly, you just took off on your own. AGAIN!

I’ve had a lot of time to think about this while I was waiting for test results in the last few weeks and also last night when I had long given up on getting any sleep (even after knowing you had survived your latest idiotic feat), and I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re suffering from both a hero complex and a strong inferiority complex. It does sound contradictory, but it's actually not.

You see, you're convinced that your purpose in life is to protect your friends and loved ones. And at the same time, you take unnecessary risks because you're convinced that your life – that you, Potter – is worth less than the lives of those you hold dear.

This is the reason why you didn't want any help at the Ministry yesterday. And this is also the real reason why you abandoned me at the club. Yes, you were scared back then; but not (only) because things were becoming "too real" for you. No. You were scared that I would change my mind, that I would wake up one day and realize that you aren't what the papers and the public have made you out to be: _Harry Potter, Chosen One ™, Saviour of the Wizarding World™, Wizarding World's Most Eligible Bachelor™, UK's Sexiest Auror™_ (20 years in a row and counting I might add). You were scared that I would suddenly realize that you are, in fact, just the guy who I made fun of all through our years at Hogwarts; the guy who got dumped by Cho and later by Ginny; the guy who has practically given up on dating anyone because no matter who you went out with over the years, they all had way too high expectations which you couldn't fulfil.

All of this is why you chose self-preservation back at the club (a Slytherin trait by the way) and decided to sabotage our relationship before it even began. You were convinced a relationship between you and me was ultimately doomed, and a preemptive strike was the only way of saving you and your "unworthy" life from heartbreak and misery.

Now let me tell you something, Potter. As shocking as it might be, let _me_ be the Gryffindor for once, and rush ahead against all odds. You see, you seem to have forgotten who you're dealing with here. Do you honestly think that I would buy into these labels and your public image? That I would get blinded by unrealistic expectations? I've known you since we both were eleven. Eleven, Potter, that was almost 30 years ago. And despite your atrocious fashion sense, your bird's nest of a haircut and your ridiculous glasses, I … I've been in love with you for almost as long. There I said it.

I know you, Harry, the real you, and I'm still here. If you give us a chance, I won't go anywhere, I promise, because I love you, you git, despite all your shortcomings.

So now that this is out of the way, you listen to me, Harry:

  1. You are worth just as much as your friends; in my eyes, you're actually worth so much more, but that's beside the point. No more heroics! I mean it, Harry! I want you to live a long and happy life, preferably with me, and for that, I need you alive. So: Aurors have partners for a reason! If you can't take your Auror partner with you into a dangerous situation because you're doing something illegal again, please call me. I've got your back.
  2. Get some rest. I mean it, Harry! You can't contribute anything useful to the case at the moment. Thanks to your nightly excursion, we now know that our star-crossed Unspeakables were researching Obscurials and their Obscurus. It is now my turn to shed more light into the investigation. You were attacked only a few hours ago, and I'm sure you haven't had a good night's sleep since you heard about Lysander and Clareborne's murder. So please, take two days off and keep a low profile. Don't argue. I need two more days to finish my tests and then I can present you the magical signature(s) of the attacker(s) on a silver platter. And since you're suspecting a ministry worker and all of their magical signatures are on record by default, you'll have your suspect's name by Monday evening. That is tomorrow, Harry, so get that shapely arse of yours into bed and sleep. (Oh, before you come across my extensive collection of Auror calendars pages at some point in the future – mainly July for the past 20 years or so… –, I should probably confess that "UK's Sexiest Auror™" _is_ a title I wholeheartedly support.
  3. Now that this is all cleared up, come over for dinner tomorrow at 8 p.m. I'll cook. (Yes, Harry, really. A true Slytherin never reveals all their cards at once.)



Well, I have to get ready for my meeting with Anthony at St Mungo's. If you took any research notes and/or papers from the laboratory with you, please send them to my office as soon as possible. They could contain helpful information for our cursebreaker. Thank you.

(And since I still seem to be in this idiotically hopeful Gryffindor mode…)

Yours,  
Draco

PS: So, it's a date?


	7. Letter 7 - Harry

Tuesday, 11th June 2019

 

**Final Submission and Concluding Remarks**

**Case No: 83042- Clareborne, C / Lysander, J**

 

**To: Head Auror Gawain Robards**

**From: The Secretary of Deputy Lead Auror Harry James Potter**

 

Final Submission in the matter of the arrest of Alexis Dionysus (DOB:19/04/82) Charges:Murder x2, Theft of Ministry Information, Magical Terrorism. Suspect has been remanded to Azkaban to await trial on the above charges. Suspect is to be considered dangerous and a current high-level threat. 

 

The following document represents my concluding remarks in the above matter. As of today's date, all evidence in the above matter will be magically sealed and handed over to the Ministry Legal Department for the preparation of the prosecution. 

 

The suspect listed above has made a full confession to the murders of Unspeakables Clareborne and Lysander and a wealth of evidence was collected from his possession, including stolen parchments, and a diary. Magical residue testing on Dionysus’s bonded wand has discovered traces of the _Diffindo_ spell-work that was used on both myself and during the commission of the original offences. 

 

However the DME would not have been able to link Dionysus to these crimes were it not for the outstanding work of Healer Draco Malfoy. His success in isolating the magical signature of our suspect meant that it could be compared to those held on Ministry record.  Our suspect was then arrested seamlessly within the space of an hour, taken into custody with no hexes, jinxs or curses discharged during the course of the incident. 

 

Since his arrest it has become apparent that Dionysus used false documentation to gain his role at the Ministry. Our suspect was educated at the Durmstrang Institute. Here, records indicate, Dionysus became deeply involved with an Anti-Muggle/Wizarding Supremacy movement, to the extent he was expelled. His name was mentioned five years ago as part of a criminal conspiracy to kidnap a Wizarding child to ‘raise’ as an Obscurial but luckily this foul idea never came into fruition. Their plan had been to use an Obscurus to threaten and destroy parts of muggle London. 

 

It seems that Dionysus decided to shorten the Obscurial process by stealing and weaponising his colleague’s research. The evidence found in notes and diaries at his home by the DME seem to suggest that Unspeakables Clareborne and Lysander had come to realise their co-worker’s nefarious intent. Sadly, they had planned to tell the Aurors about their suspicions on the very day of their murder. They were ambushed at home before this could occur. 

 

The excellent Cursebreaking work of Mr. Anthony Goldstein should also be commended. Due to his careful and diligent work alongside Mr. Malfoy the threat of this curse has been nullified for the foreseeable future. The office of the DME recommends more stringent security measures within the Department of Mysteries in the hope that such criminal actions can be halted in the future. 

 

Unless the DME find additional evidence, or Dionysus makes a further confession, my official recommendation is that Case No: 83042 (Clareborne, C / Lysander, J) be considered: CLOSED. 

 

\--- Letter from HP to DM ---

 

Tuesday 11th June 2019. 

 

Draco. 

 

Firstly, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve taken you your advice. 

 

Your letter told me to get some rest; told me that I couldn’t contribute anything practical to the case whilst I was physically and mentally exhausted. As much as it pains me to say so, you were utterly correct. You won’t be surprised at the difference twelve hours of rest (and an empty vial of _Dreamless Sleep_ potion has made to my ability to actually think . I’m holding a copy of that last letter and I’m shocked by its rambling, paranoid tone. I was injured, bleeding… Yet still determined to doggedly see the case to its conclusion. It felt indulgent, _wrong_ even, to sleep, eat or even stop whist the killer was still at large.  

 

And before you say it, Draco, _yes_ : I’m aware of how unhealthy that all sounds. 

 

It’s hard to describe really. I suppose it’s as if a veil descends over my eyes whenever any part of my life starts to _actually_ matter. Some reptilian part of my brain starts to sabotage my behaviour. I run out of clubs abandoning relationships before they’ve even begun (a hundred points to Slytherin for that observation!) I drink far too much and I engage in reckless, dangerous behaviour because some part of me just doesn’t feel like I deserve anything better. Then, the treacherous voice in my head pushes me into these extreme actions, telling me if I don’t _protect_ , don’t _fight_ then nobody else will. 

 

The DME has made me take mandatory counselling before, Draco, I’ve just never told you.

 

I suppose I thought it’d hurt the impression of the compelling, powerful Auror I was trying so valiantly to leave on you. My counsellor seemed to believe that my early upbringing and teenage years had left me unable to form useful strategies to seek help and support. She said that I held very little regard for the value of my own life. Something about adult role models giving me zero positive reinforcement any time I asked for their assistance? Anyway, I used to think she was talking psychobabble; touchy-feely nonsense. But maybe it’s time to reassess that notion. I'm going to ask Robards to re-refer me for counselling tomorrow.  

 

And yes, Draco. It’s a date. Of course it bloody is, you absolute bloody _menace_.  

 

Merlin, if I’d known you could actually cook I’d have married you a decade ago. Why you made us survive on take-out and my burnt offerings I’ve no single clue. Who could have known that being injured in the line of duty would have triggered such a revelation? In a related side-note, I have to admit I’m off the superhero films. All that running in and saving the day? I’m hoping to stick entirely to the romance genre in the foreseeable future. 

 

And I have to admit, your letter rained on my Quidditch Pitch a touch. 

 

You see, I was planning to tell you that I loved you. That I always have, really. That this case has shown me that a life without you beside me simply isn’t one I’m willing to countenance any longer. Clareborne and Lysander were ridiculously young; barely more than kids really. They should have had a lifetime together. That’s what I want Draco. A lifetime, shared with you. 

 

I can’t promise to rein in all my _shortcomings_ , as you so delightfully described them. Nearly forty years of acting the hero isn’t going to be so easy to shake off. I’m stubborn, impetuous and rash. Basically the same aggravating Gryffindor that I’ve always been and always will. But I think, with communication, a fair few arguments and more patience that I might be capable of we could really make this work. The thing is: _I want to live a long life, too. Preferably at your side._

 

So it’s a bloody date. 

 

And if you’re really lucky then perhaps we could re-enact some of the Auror calender poses. My personal favourite was the July 2017 page? The one with the sheepskin rug in front of the open fireplace? A bit cliché but tremendous fun… I’ll leave you with that mental image to enjoy. 

 

See you at eight. 

 

Yours, 

Harry. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments and kudos to show some love for the pen pals!


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